Of Monsters and Men, a band formed in Iceland in 2010, has achieved remarkable international success in the past few years. Their success is clear in the massive crowds that have come to see them on their tour and at music festivals across the globe since the release of their first album, “My Head is an Animal.” The hit single “Little Talks” exhibited a kind of contagious energy that allowed it to top charts worldwide, including the U.S. Rock and Alternative Charts.
This summer, Of Monsters and Men made a noteworthy return to the music world with their sophomore album, “Beneath the Skin.” This album is different, disquieting and certainly darker than the first, but offers moments of true brilliance as well.
Fans who are seeking the same whimsical, ethereal quality that made tracks like “Mountain Sound” so popular may be unsatisfied with this latest work from the Icelandic band. “Beneath the Skin” features songs with slower rhythm, greater diversity of percussion and a collection of drifting, restless melodies, many of which build up to a startling conclusion.
In a short series of videos uploaded from their YouTube account, titled “Underneath ‘[Beneath] the Skin,’” the band reflects on their growth and transformation as group, sharing their thoughts and fears about their newest album and upcoming tour.
Lead vocalist and guitarist Nanna Hilmarsdóttir said that their first album focused on “searching out, being curious ... But this time it is the opposite; Very much inside us.” Bassist Kristjánsson added that they “just want people to evolve with us.”
In “Beneath the Skin,” prior themes of carefree, mystical curiosity are replaced by moodier, deeper themes of introspection, regret and heartache. This is an evolved version of Of Monsters and Men, and they are not afraid to venture into the dark to find their inspiration. In “Hunger,” for example, the lyrics are lonely and pleading as they say that “Voices disappear when you are speaking, in somber tunes / I will be the wolf when you’re starving, you’ll need it too / Hungry for the kill, but this hunger, it isn’t you.”
However,“Beneath the Skin” is not without flaws. Some of the songs are repetitive and simply fall short of the rest of the tracks. The remixes on the deluxe edition try far too hard to fit into the current trend of sound mixing and lose all of their impact in the process. Few of the songs from the album have the merit or force to stand alone in the same way the singles from “My Head is an Animal” did.
While there is no single track on the album with the power and reach of “Little Talks,” there are a number of remarkable songs, including “Empire,” which is catchy, upbeat, and thoroughly memorable, and “I of the Storm,” which provides some of the purest, most breathtaking moments on the entire album. The beautiful harmony Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Pórhallsson, the other lead vocalist, create is one of the greatest strengths of the band as a whole, and the group remains more powerful than ever, especially in tracks like “Black Water” and “Backyard.”
“Beneath the Skin” is a triumph of musical talent, collaboration, sound mixing and lyrical genius for Of Monsters and Men. While they have a number of imperfections to face, this band has created a fierce sound that will reach fans all over the world.
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